Posts Tagged ‘sequel’

While I haven’t been a fan of the Saw series, I was fairly surprised that I actually liked this sequel more than I expected.

New Sequel, Same Torture, Some Twists

The film still looks and feels like a Nine Inch Nails video, but the plot, which draws together some loose ends from the previous three, manages to entertain with its twists and convolutions. In fact, most of the thrills I got from watching this movie was less about the Rube Goldberg traps and devices than the pleasure gained from connecting the dots between the entire series and seeing Donnie Wahlberg again (albeit briefly) as well as other characters from previous installments; it feels like a greatest hits or best of episode.

I can see it already, die-hard fans moaning about how a fast Jason ruins the integrity of all Jason-ness of Jason. I for one think it’s a smart way to revive a dead franchise. He really became a joke in the last, oh, five sequels, and once you set a sequel in space, you know it’s for real over and done with. Hellraiser in Space (Hellraiser IV), Leprechaun in Space (Leprechaun 3), you get the picture.

So come time February 13, I’ll be counting the days until it’s released on DVD!

In spite of bringing back director Rick Rosenthal (Halloween II), and in spite of a fairly plausible explanation for bringing back Michael Myers, this film totally squanders the energy and freshness from the H2O reboot and settles for a mediocre meta-commentary on horror films (more successfully explored in Scream) and reality television/media that feels several years too late to be relevant.

The film begins with Laurie Strode in lock-down at a psych ward; she pretends to be medicated (stashing the pills in a doll) while waiting for the inevitable arrival of her brother. It is revealed that Michael switched places with a paramedic, and that the paramedic was the one who Laurie decapitated in the last film. So when Michael arrives, it becomes immediately apparent that the quality of script is not on the same level as the previous film; for one thing, characters do stupid things, they die.

For example, after hearing his partner getting killed, a security guard investigates and comes across a laundry dryer, and in a gag reminiscent of the scene in Part 6, decides for no reason to open it to check its contents. Nothing motivated this action beyond sheer plot contrivance for a boring kill; even the manner in which Michael appears (lowering himself one-handed from the ceiling) steals from a previous film.

The opening sequence climaxes with a confrontation between Laurie and Michael on the roof of the sanitarium. Having successfully ensnared him, Laurie does the unforgivable act of trying to unmask The Shape; of course this leads to her downfall and one very angry fan. What an insulting way to end her character’s journey, especially after how strong she was at the end of the last film.

Once Laurie Strode is killed off, I wondered “How the hell are they going to motivate Michael now?” Well, apparently the plot proper kicks off with a group of college kids taking part in a webcast set in the Myers household. What attempts to be a meta-commentary on the horror film genre as a whole, the Halloween films in particular, media manipulation in general, film voyeurism, and the sex vs. violence debate only comes off as a snarky, half-thought out dull film that just happens to have Michael Myers in it.

The group of kids are hardly engaging or as sympathetic as the group from H2O, as it includes that unfunny dude from American Pie and Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) doing her facial tic schtick.

So it’s ho-hum as Michael winnows down the group of kids while they cry for help directly addressing the camera Blair Witch-style. The only highlight: Busta Rhymes in a Michael Myers mask cussing out the actual Michael Myers. It is also the lowlight of the entire series (Thorn cult notwithstanding).

One star.

Well, this wraps up the Halloween franchise marathon; too bad it ends on a downer. Next up, the psychic thriller, Patrick.

Now we’re talking! After the dismal and misguided part 6 comes this invigorating jolt to the franchise. A large credit goes to the fantastic script and the great ensemble cast.

Oh, Crap!

This movie gingerly skips over the events of Parts 3-6, while not entirely retconning them, and picks up plot threads from Part 2. A fairly wise move that allows the film to feel like it’s starting fresh because it dumps the Thorn cult subplot and goes back to its roots (far more successfully than Part 4 had been touted).

Picking up 20 years from the original events, the film reintroduces Laurie Strode who has been relocated by the WPA to Glenwood, CA under the new name, Keri Tate. She teaches at the posh Hillcrest Academy where her son, John (Josh Hartnett in his first major role) also attends. She is still haunted by visions of her brother, Michael, and it is causing tension between her and her son.

The great thing about giving her a son, other than to raise the stakes of what she has to lose, is that we get a relationship that allows her to be human and sympathetic. She has been medicating herself to suppress her memories of that haunting and fateful night, but, in classic horror movie return-of-the-repressed type fashion, Michael comes back.

He first starts in Langdon, Illinois where he pays a visit to the assistant nurse of Dr. Loomis (Nancy Stephen reprising her role!) and discovers the new identity of his sister. And this initial scene telegraphs how smart and fresh the script will serve up the rest of the scares and thrills; it learned from the Kevin Williamson school of horror screenwriting.

On a side note, Michael looks a lot leaner in this film; he definitely lost the bulk he gained from film to film and it makes him scary fast; like a wiry starved rat. And it seems they cast Chris Durand mainly for his eyes; he does a great job of exuding childlike innocence with pure evil — like a kid intrigued by pulling the wings off flies.

In any case, Michael makes his way towards the academy, which, on the weekend of Halloween, is emptied of practically all the staff and student body (who have gone on a trip to Yosemite) except for a few who remain behind to party it up. This group includes Laurie’s son, his girlfriend (a young Michelle Williams) and another couple. During the time he is traveling, like a fateful bullet on its way to its target, the movie allows us to get to know the characters a little.

And when Michael strikes, as he does, these kids are allowed to fight back and even express how scared shitless they are. Just these actions alone are pretty revolutionary for a slasher film. They truly become our stand-ins because they smartly challenge our suspension of disbelief. What I mean to say is, whenever we watch these kinds of films, we hate it when the characters are stupid and do stupid things. In this movie, they are allowed to do smart things, like fight back. They’re still outmatched by the unkillable Michael, but the very effort allows us to root for them and makes it even more painful when the characters we like end up dying.

For example, when Laurie has a chance to flee with her son and girlfriend she decides to stay and confront Michael. Now this may seem like a stupid thing, but it’s set up in such a way that her action becomes noble and heroic. It’s a kick-ass moment for the character, because up until this point in her life (even reaching back into Parts 1 and 2), she never fought back or really stood up for herself; she was always running away. Here she takes charge, and it is empowering.

Even John Carpenter’s original score benefits from the reboot; it is scored with lush and moody strings and doesn’t fully reveal itself in its original sparse piano melody until after the final scene plays out.

And the final scene is incredible. It is the best death scene in any Halloween picture that made me cheer out loud for the victor. You have to see it.

So, because of a smart script, and a great cast (including Adam Arkin and LL Cool J in great supporting roles) the Halloween franchise finally gets a sequel fairly worthy, and in some instances, even better than the original source movie. Three and a half stars, hands down.

Next up, we’ll see how they squander all this good will in Halloween: Resurrection.

The downward slide continues with this last entry prior to the H2O reboot. It saddens me to think that this would be one of Donald Pleasance’s last movie and that, if IMDB is correct, his role was further reduced in the editing room because the director found his scenes “boring.” I would think many scenes suffer from over-zealous editing because there is a disjointed feeling from scene to scene. But still, I was immediately struck by how frail Donald Pleasance seemed in the six years since the last film.

Halloween 6 tells the story of Michael Myers’s search for Jamie Lloyd’s daughter who has fallen into Tommy Doyle’s care; parallel to this storyline is the reintroduction of the Strode family, specifically Cara and her son, Danny. For some inexplicable reason, Danny is hearing orders from the Thorn cult, a mysterious organization attempting to locate the baby to sacrifice it to Michael so he can leave Haddonfield the hell alone.

In any case, this movie picks up themes from the last film, specifically the intriguing if misguided attempt to explain Michael Myers’s motivation with the Thorn cult origin. Basically, this cult curses a family to be sacrificed so the village can be blessed; there are some minor parallels in this idea to the far superior (and original) Wicker Man. What’s commendable is the attempt to tie in Halloween’s (the holiday) origins to the contemporary mythology of Michael Myers, however it feels like its in the wrong movie. The cross-breeding of the supernatural with the slasher is not entirely unconventional, it just feels wrong.

There are many missteps this movie takes in spite of strong cinematography and a step up in special effects. First of all, it reintroduces the Strode family. Plus! However they don’t realize that the house they just moved into is the original Myers house (looking more as it once did unlike the gothic fabrication of Halloween 5). How the hell do they not know?!

Another plus is Paul Rudd plays Tommy Doyle, the grown-up version of the kid Laurie Strode babysat in the original film. However, his character is inconsistent and inadvertently gets more laughs than not — and you can tell Paul Rudd can’t quite get the proper handle on his character. Also Jamie Lloyd is back all growed up and has just given birth — hmm, interesting. She is killed within the first act — no surprise here, but what a waste. Are Hellraiser and A Nightmare on Elm Street the only franchises to keep its original lead heroine alive past two movies? Oh wait, Scream does as well. And Alien. Whatever, it’s still pretty rare in the slasher genre.

Finally, the Thorn cult is so vague in its conception and execution that their motives are muddied and inconsequential. There is the suggestion that Danny, who can hear their voices, may be susceptible to the same rage as Michael Myers, I think. It’s never fully explained and the mystery isn’t worth investigating. I understand the director and writer were going for a Rosemary’s Baby type cult, but they fail to properly establish them as a presence other than the one Man In Black figure. Even the cult in Hot Fuzz is more dangerous than these fools.

And, unfortunately, the ending suffers from lacking a true final confrontation between Dr. Loomis and Michael, mostly because Donald Pleasance died before completing his scenes. So the last we ever get of the good doctor is an off-screen scream that implies his death at the hands of The Shape. That sucks.

So, some good lighting, some good gory effects, but a lackluster story and the death of Donald Pleasance cast a pall over this film. One star.

Hopefully things pick up with the franchise reboot, Halloween: 20 Years Later, or the rather silly abbreviated H2O.

As earnest and as surprising as Halloween 4 struck me, this film feels flabby and not as fresh. Coming out within a year of the last one, it settles for typical slasher movie tropes despite an effort to maintain continuity within the Haddonfield-verse and despite an anemic attempt to inject new interest in the franchise.

Picking up where the last film ended, this movie has eerie parallels to the structure of Halloween II. We follow the fate of Michael after he falls down the well, to discover his near escape and recovery in a nearby river-shack. Only after establishing that Michael is still alive do we jump forward a year to revisit Jamie, suffering nightmares and voiceless in a children’s clinic.

For much of the movie, Dr. Loomis spends his time brow-beating Jamie into giving him info on Michael’s whereabouts, but for some inexplicable reason (besides having lost her ability to speak) she won’t help him except when her immediate friends are in danger. While Rachel from the last movie is offed in the first act, she is replaced by a friend, Tina — perhaps the only bit of good casting in this film.

So, as we lumber like the Shape from set piece to set piece, the kills not feeling particularly inventive or scary (or even gory) the movie feels mired in mud. Even the final confrontation between Dr. Loomis and Michael lacks any real thrill or tension — a heavy chain net? Really? And sedative darts? What?!

This film also has the dubious honor of introducing the mysterious “Man In Black” who wears a tattoo seen briefly in Michael Myer’s house (which, by the way, looks nothing like the original house from the first film), and leaves more question marks hopefully to be answered in the next installment.

So 1 1/2 stars just for the able and engaging performance of Wendy Kaplan as Tina, and for the script paying attention to continuity. Otherwise not a very memorable entry in the Halloween franchise.

Next up, we hack our way into Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers, featuring an early performance by Paul Rudd.

Hoo boy, and does he! A little pudgier than previously, but he’s back! And so is Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance) spouting warnings about “evil on two legs” to anyone who’ll listen — and surprisingly, people do.

Halloween 4 tells the story of Michael’s return to Haddonfield, 10 years to the day of his original killing spree; apparently he and Dr. Loomis both survived the explosion of the oxygen tanks, and while Michael went into a coma, Dr. Loomis suffered severe burns on the right side of his body.

Here We Go Again!

During a transfer from a federal psych ward back to Smith’s Grove ward, Michael escapes to seek a young girl named Jamie (nice!) who is the daughter of Laurie Strode. It’s not explicitly stated what happened to Laurie, but it is implied that she died some 11 months earlier. Jamie is now in the foster care of the Carruthers.

In revisiting this franchise, I was surprised at the effective mood and some fair scares; this is mainly brought on by some solid acting, Donald Pleasance’s spouting notwithstanding (though it’s not as histrionic as I expected), and very effective lighting. It does a good job of establishing many new characters while keeping in mind its roots (mentions of Chief Brackett, Jamie’s photo of Laurie, Jamie dressing in a clown suit for trick or treat).

Perhaps what surprised me the most, other than how seriously this movie was taking itself, was the script; it is at times engaging in setting up the thrills, but most of all, it actually respects its characters.

For example, when Dr. Loomis shows up ranting that Michael has returned, Sheriff Meeker actually trusts and believes him! Sure, he expresses some doubt, but a quick look at the decimated police station is enough to spur him to action. This makes Michael’s threat all that more believable because these guys are scared and act sensibly — they hole up at Meeker’s house and prepare to barricade themselves, unaware, of course, that Michael is already there.

Another moment in the script that floored me was after Rachel and Jamie elude Michael at the school, they bump into a vigilante group. After catching them up to speed, their response is to get the hell out of there. Good for them! No, “let’s split up and catch him” bullshit, just get in the truck and go!

Of course, these logical reactions by these people only lead to my main complaint about the movie: Michael Myers is fucking everywhere! He’s in the tea pot for crying out loud! (not really) But apparently he is faster than cars and able to read minds. So when the local gun group is like, letsgeddafugouttahere, guess who hitches a ride on the back of the pick up. Yup. Michael. When Dr. Loomis and Jamie, well ahead of Michael, get to the school, guess who they bump into in the hallways. Yup. Michael. Yeahbuhwha–!

The last leap in logic, which soured the movie for me is the final ’“twist” ending which comes out of left field, even if you were to factor in trauma spurring on the character’s actions. It doesn’t make sense.

So not the total turkey I half-remembered, but not any better than Halloween II and not even as good as Halloween 3. Therefore, two stars.

Next, we keep rolling with the Halloween sequels — Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.